Gas water heater having nitric oxide detector

ABSTRACT

A gas water heater includes a piping disposed in a housing for receiving a fluid to be heated, a gas burner for receiving a gaseous fuel and for generating a heat to heat the fluid flowing through the piping, and a regulating device coupled to the gas burner for adjusting the supplying of the gaseous fuel to the gas burner. A nitric oxide detector is disposed in the housing for detecting the nitric oxide compounds generated by the gas burner, and a control device is coupled to the nitric oxide detector for receiving the detected signal from the nitric oxide detector and for operating the regulating device to adjust the supplying of the gaseous fuel to the gas burner and for allowing the gaseous fuel to be completely burned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a gas water heater, and more particularly to a gas water heater including a nitric oxide detector for detecting the quantity of the nitric oxide (NO), the nitrogen oxides, the nitrogen tetroxide, or other nitrogen-oxygen compounds (NOx) generated by the gas burner and for adjusting or regulating the supplying of the gaseous fuel to the gas burner and for adjusting or regulating the burning of the gaseous fuel and for suitably reducing the quantity of the nitrous oxide compounds.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical gas water heaters comprise a gas burner and a gaseous fuel supplying pipe coupled to the gas burner for suitably supplying the gaseous fuel to the gas burner and for allowing the gaseous fuel to be burned or combusted by the gas burner to generate heat and to heat the water or the fluid or the like and thus for suitably supplying the heated or hot water to the users.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,474,931 to Gordon discloses one of the typical gas water heaters which also comprising a cold water pipe connected with the lower portion of the water heater, a hot water pipe connected with the upper portion of the water heater for supplying the hot water out of the water heater, and a gas burner for generating the heat and for suitably supplying the heated or hot water to the users.

However, the gas burner may generate a nitric oxide compound (NOx) when burning or combusting the gaseous fuel, and the nitric oxide may be filled within the house building and may even kill people when the air circulation arrangement of the house building is not good enough. In addition, when too much nitric oxide is generated, it means that the gaseous fuel has been over supplied to the gas burner and the gaseous fuel may not be suitably or completely burned or combusted by the gas burner such that much of the gaseous fuel will be wasted and such that the typical gas water heater is not economical.

U.S. Pat. No. 2,100,766 to Papoutsis discloses another typical gas water heater comprising a gas burner, a gas plate or a griddle for suitably burning or combusting the gaseous fuel, and for generating heat to heat the water or the fluid or the like and for suitably supplying the heated or hot water to a hot water tank, and thus for suitably supplying the heated or hot water to the users.

However, similarly, when burning or combusting the gaseous fuel, the gas burner may generate a nitric oxide (NOx) and the nitric oxide may also have a good chance to kill the people within the house building. In addition, in some circumstances, the gaseous fuel may not be suitably or completely burned or combusted by the gas burner and may thus generate too much nitric oxide such that the gaseous fuel may have been over supplied to the gas burner and such that much of the gaseous fuel will be wasted and such that the typical gas water heater is not economical.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,311,664 to Zaremba et al. discloses a further typical flame-photometric detector burner of a gas chromatograph employing a system of two nozzles arranged in relation to each other, one of the nozzles is designed to supply carrier gas, and the other nozzle is arranged within a hydrogen system in a cavity of a combustion chamber of a detector block.

However, an additional detector block is required to be provided for detecting the flame, and the burner also may generate a nitric oxide and the nitric oxide may also have a good chance to kill the people within the house building.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional gas water heaters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a gas water heater including a nitric oxide detector for detecting the quantity of the nitric oxide (NO), the nitrogen oxides, the nitrogen tetroxide, or other nitrogen-oxygen compounds (NOx) generated by the gas burner and for adjusting or regulating the supplying of the gaseous fuel to the gas burner and for adjusting or regulating the burning of the gaseous fuel and for suitably reducing the quantity of the nitrous oxide compounds.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a gas water heater comprising a housing including a chamber formed therein, and including at least one opening formed therein and communicating with the chamber of the housing for allowing an air to flow into the chamber of the housing, and including an outlet port for allowing a combusted air or gas to flow out of the housing, a piping disposed in the chamber of the housing for receiving a fluid to be heated by the gas water heater, the piping including an entrance for supplying the fluid into the piping and an exit for supplying a heated fluid out of the piping, a gas burner disposed in the chamber of the housing, a gaseous fuel supplying pipe coupled to the gas burner for supplying a gaseous fuel to the gas burner and for allowing the gaseous fuel to be burned with the gas burner in order to generate a heat and to heat the fluid flowing through the piping, a regulating device coupled to the gas burner for adjusting a supplying of the gaseous fuel to the gas burner, a nitric oxide detector disposed in the chamber of the housing for detecting a nitric oxide compound (NOx) generated by the gas burner and a control device coupled to the nitric oxide detector for receiving a detected signal from the nitric oxide detector and for processing the detected signal, the control device being coupled to the regulating device for operating the regulating device to adjust the supplying of the gaseous fuel to the gas burner and for allowing the gaseous fuel to be completely burned.

The regulating device may be a solenoid valve or the like. The nitric oxide detector is preferably disposed in the outlet port of the housing for detecting the quantity of the nitric oxide flowing out through the outlet port of the housing or contained within the housing.

An electric power source may further be provided and coupled to the control device for supplying an electric energy to energize the control device, the nitric oxide detector, the regulating device and/or the other electric parts or elements of the gas water heater.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front plan schematic view of a gas water heater in accordance with the present invention in which an outer or front cover has been removed for showing an inner structure of the gas water heater;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view of the gas water heater illustrating the inner structure of the gas water heater; and

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the arrangement of the parts or elements of the gas water heater.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, a gas water heater 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises a container or housing 10 including a chamber 11 formed therein, and including a number of orifices or openings 12 formed therein and communicating with the chamber 11 of the housing 10 for allowing the fresh air to flow into the chamber 11 of the housing 10, and including an outlet port 13 for allowing the burned or combusted air or gas to flow out of the housing 10, and including a coil or piping 14 disposed in the chamber 11 of the housing 10 for receiving the water or the fluid or the like to be burned or heated by the gas water heater 1. The piping 14 includes an entrance 15 for supplying the water or the fluid or the like into the piping 14, and an exit 16 for supplying the heated or hot water out of the piping 14.

A gas burner 20 is also disposed in the chamber 11 of the housing 10 and preferably disposed or arranged within the water coil or piping 14 for receiving the gaseous fuel from a gaseous fuel supplying pipe 21 for suitably burning or combusting the gaseous fuel in order to generate heat and to heat the water or the fluid or the like flowing through the piping 14. An adjusting or regulating device 30, such as a regulating solenoid valve 30 is further provided and coupled to the gaseous fuel supplying pipe 21 or directly coupled to the gas burner 20 for adjusting or regulating the gaseous fuel supplied to the gas burner 20 and thus for adjusting or regulating the flame generated by the gas burner 20. The gas water heater 1 in accordance with the present invention further includes a nitric oxide detector 40 for detecting the quantity of the nitric oxide compound (NOx) generated by the gas burner 20.

For example, the nitric oxide detector 40 may be disposed in the chamber 11 of the housing 10 and preferably disposed in the outlet port 13 of the housing 10, or located close to the outlet port 13 of the housing 10, for detecting the quantity of the nitric oxide flowing out through the outlet port 13 of the housing 10 or contained within the housing 10. As shown in FIG. 3, a processing or control device 50 may further be provided and coupled to the nitric oxide detector 40 for receiving the detected data or information or pulse signals from the nitric oxide detector 40 and for treating or processing or calculating the detected data or information. The control device 50 is also coupled to the regulating device 30 for controlling or operating the regulating device 30 and for adjusting or regulating the gaseous fuel supplied to the gas burner 20 and thus for adjusting or regulating the burning or the flaming of the gaseous fuel by the gas burner 20 and for suitably reducing the combusting quantity or rate of the nitric oxide.

As also shown in FIG. 3, an electric power source 60, such as one or more batteries, an electric power circuit or other electric power suppliers 60 may further be provided and coupled to the control device 50 for suitably supplying the electric power or energy to energize the control device 50, the nitric oxide detector 40, the regulating device 30 and/or the other electric parts or elements of the gas water heater 1 in accordance with the present invention. The control device 50 may thus be suitably energized by the electric power source 60 to control or to operate the regulating device 30 and to adjust or to regulate the gaseous fuel supplied from the regulating device 30 to the gas burner 20 and thus to adjust or regulate the burning or the flaming of the gaseous fuel by the gas burner 20.

When or after the control device 50 receives the detected data or information or pulse signals from the nitric oxide detector 40, the control device 50 may treat or process or calculate or compare the detected data or information or signals with such as a predetermined table or data or information to determine whether the detected data or information or signals are above or below the predetermined table or data or information. For example, when the detected data or information or signals is above the predetermined table or data or information, i.e., the detected nitric oxide is too much which means that the gaseous fuel has been suitably or completely burned or combusted by the gas burner 20, the control device 50 may control or actuate the regulating device 30 to selectively, but not necessarily supply less or much more gaseous fuel to the gas burner 20.

On the contrary, when the detected data or information or signals is below the predetermined table or data or information, the detected nitric oxide may be less than the predetermined quantity, which means that the gaseous fuel has not been suitably or completely burned or combusted by the gas burner 20, the control device 50 may thus control or actuate the regulating device 30 to supply much more or less gaseous fuel to the gas burner 20 to allow the gaseous fuel to be suitably or completely burned or combusted by the gas burner 20 in order to suitably reduce the quantity of the nitric oxide.

Accordingly, the gas water heater in accordance with the present invention includes a nitric oxide detector for detecting the quantity of the nitric oxide (NO), the nitrogen oxides, the nitrogen tetroxide, or other nitrogen-oxygen compounds (NOx) generated by the gas burner and for adjusting or regulating the supplying of the gaseous fuel to the gas burner and for adjusting or regulating the burning of the gaseous fuel and for suitably reducing the quantity of the nitrous oxide compounds.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A gas water heater comprising: a housing including a chamber formed therein, and including at least one opening formed therein and communicating with said chamber of said housing for allowing an air to flow into said chamber of said housing, and including an outlet port for allowing a combusted air or gas to flow out of said housing, a piping disposed in said chamber of said housing for receiving a fluid to be heated by said gas water heater, said piping including an entrance for supplying the fluid into said piping and an exit for supplying a heated fluid out of said piping, a gas burner disposed in said chamber of said housing, a gaseous fuel supplying pipe coupled to said gas burner for supplying a gaseous fuel to said gas burner and for allowing the gaseous fuel to be burned with said gas burner in order to generate a heat and to heat the fluid flowing through said piping, a regulating device coupled to said gas burner for adjusting a supplying of the gaseous fuel to said gas burner, a nitric oxide detector disposed in said chamber of said housing for detecting a nitric oxide generated by said gas burner and a control device coupled to said nitric oxide detector for receiving a detected signal from said nitric oxide detector and for processing the detected signal, said control device being coupled to said regulating device for operating said regulating device to adjust the supplying of the gaseous fuel to said gas burner and for allowing the gaseous fuel to be completely burned.
 2. The gas water heater as claimed in claim 1, wherein said regulating device is a solenoid valve.
 3. The gas water heater as claimed in claim 1, wherein said nitric oxide detector is disposed in said outlet port of said housing.
 4. The gas water heater as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an electric power source coupled to said control device for supplying an electric energy to energize said control device. 